1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component mounting apparatus which suctions and recognizes a component, mounts the component on a board conveyed to the apparatus, and then conveys the board out from the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A component mounting apparatus which includes operational sequence specification means for designating a series of operational sequences consisting of suctioning, recognizing and mounting a component, a memory unit for storing component data relating to components to be suctioned and mounted, and mounting data indicating the coordinates on a board where components are to be mounted, and the like, and a mounting unit which mounts components on a board conveyed into the apparatus, using the component data and the mounting data, and conveys the board out from the apparatus, is commonly known in the prior art, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-94283, for example.
A conventional component mounting apparatus has operational sequence specification means for executing the processing in steps S1 to S7, as shown in the flowchart in FIG. 23. As shown by the setting parameters in FIG. 24, the memory unit of this component mounting apparatus stores numbers specifying a sequence for suctioning and mounting components, suction coordinates X,Y indicating a position of a component which has been supplied, a suction angle R for the component, a supply and mounting action specifying a suctioning operation for the component (high-speed, low-speed, etc.), mounting coordinates X,Y which indicate a mounting position of the component on a board, a mounting angle R for the component, and the like.
The component mounting apparatus described above starts automatic operation at step S1 of the operational sequence, and thereafter repeatedly executes the processing in steps S2 to S7. In step S2, a board is conveyed into the apparatus on a conveyor. In step S3, a component which is to be mounted on a board is selected from amongst supplied components and is suctioned, by referring to the setting parameters. In step S4, the suctioned component is subjected to image processing and is recognized. In step S5, the recognized component is mounted on the board which has been conveyed into the apparatus, by referring to the setting parameters. In step S6, it is judged whether all of the components have been mounted on the board, and the cycle of processing in steps S3 to S6 is executed until all of the components have been mounted on the board in accordance with the setting parameters. When all of the components have been mounted on the board, a “Yes” verdict is returned at step S6, and in step S7, the board on which all of the components have been mounted is conveyed out from the apparatus.
After outward conveyance of the board, the processing in steps S2 to S7 above is executed again and the next board is conveyed into the apparatus, components are mounted again on this board, and the board is then conveyed out from the apparatus. By this means, as shown in the sequence operation diagram in FIG. 25, after the start of automatic operation (SQ1), the operations of inward conveyance of board (SQ2), supply and mounting of components 1, 2, 3, . . . (SQ3, SQ4, SQ5 . . . ), and outward conveyance of board (SQ9) are carried out repeatedly.
In a component mounting apparatus of this type, essentially, it is necessary to prepare operational sequence specification means respectively so as to correspond to each one of many varied surface mounting manufacturing processes. In this case, the operational sequence specification means is often created in compiler language in order to shorten the processing time and raise the production capacity of the equipment, and is generally created in advanced compiler language in order to execute complicated processing by utilizing the functions of the basic software (known as the operating system) or hardware.
In order to change the operational sequence processing with the object of achieving a user-specific manufacturing process, a user needs to understand the system software running on the equipment and the hardware interface specifications, and the like, and it is also a prerequisite for the user to learn programming techniques in advanced language which is suited to the particular equipment, and to acquire a software development environment suited to that language. Therefore, it is extremely complicated for a user to change the operational sequence processing. On the other hand, if the operational sequence is created using an interpreter type language, then the operational sequence can be changed relatively easily. However, if an interpreter type language is used to program an operational sequence of a high-specification component mounting apparatus, then several thousands of lines to several tens of thousands of lines of program are required and therefore the programming and debugging work require a very large amount of time. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of execution speed, the speed is inferior compared to processing achieved by compiler type language.